Once flooded roads need repair

CHAMBERSBURG&GT;&GT; Things will have chance to dry out this weekend, but not before another possible round of thundershowers on Friday.

The National Weather Service around noon Friday again issued a flash flood watch for south-central Pennsylvania, including Franklin County, until 10 p.m.

"Everything is as saturated as it can get," said David Donohue, director of the Franklin County Department of Emergency Services. "If it's coming down so fast that it can't be pushed downstream, it's going to be a problem."

Four roads remained flooded Friday afternoon. Heavy rains on Thursday rushed off saturated fields and across roads.

St. Thomas Township was hit with at least five inches of rain on Thursday.

Authorities at 9 p.m. Thursday announced a voluntary evacuation for residents living along Back Creek, including a part of Laurich Estates, according to Donohue. A shelter opened in the St. Thomas Township Fire Hall, but no one used it.

There was a water rescue Thursday in Antrim and another in St. Thomas, he said. Nobody was injured.

St. Thomas road crews were out until midnight, then early Friday.

"We're putting up safety cones and hoping people pay attention," said St. Thomas Township Roadmaster David Ramer said Friday morning. "People don't seem to read ("road closed" signs.) We have weeks of work. We have roads with cliffs washed off the sides of them."

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Peters Township crews were repairing a washout of the shoulder on McDowell Road, according to Roadmaster Sam Rotz.

Antrim Township too was fixing eroded shoulders, according to Administrator Brad Graham. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation was repairing the washed out berm of Hill Road.

PennDOT was checking pipes and bridges for scouring from the flash flooding, according to spokesman Greg Penny. The foremen reported no major problems, only minor washouts. All state roads were open.

Barry Rouzer, plant manager for the St. Thomas Sewer Authority, reported five inches of rain fell at the township's Edenville wastewater plant and three inches fell at the plant near U.S. 30.

Up to two inches of rain fell in 90 minutes Thursday in the west central part of Franklin County, according to the National Weather Service, State College. The Weather Service did not have observers in that part of the county, but its radar estimated that two to three inches of rain fell Thursday in the southern part of the county. Observers in South Mountain and Greencastle reported about an inch.

The Conococheague Creek at the Maryland line on Friday morning was five feet over flood stage and residents downstream were encouraged to consider evacuation. It was one of the highest levels for the creek, although it was nearly 10 feet below the peak flood of Agnes in 1972. The level had receded by noon.

The National Weather Service said a cold front will cross the area Friday and may produce scattered strong thunderstorms with winds gusting briefly to 35 to 45 mph. Hail is also possible. Chance of rain is 40 percent during the day and 30 percent tonight.

"Let's hope we don't get much," Ramer said. "We don't need any more for a day or two."

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